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Negligent hiring and liability for car accidents

On Behalf of | Jun 18, 2021 | Blog, Personal Injury

When a person driving on behalf of a company causes an accident, the company may be liable to the other driver and passengers in the collision. The simple fact that the person at fault was driving on a company’s behalf at the time that the car accident took place is not the only reason why a company may be liable.

Companies whose employees drive company vehicles or their own vehicles in the course of their job duties must exercise reasonable care when deciding who to hire. Failure to get important information about a job applicant may make a company liable for negligent hiring.

Driving record checks

If employers need to hire people who will drive frequently as a part of their job role, it is a good practice for them to check applicants’ driving records. They can verify that someone has a valid driver’s license. Also driving certain vehicles may require a commercial license. Researching a driving record can also give companies detailed information about a person’s history of violating traffic laws or involvement in accidents.

Reference checks

Normally, companies want to find out how people performed in previous jobs. This pre-employment screening is especially important for employees who will be driving. Unsafe driving or conduct that may have represented a safety hazard could have been a reason for termination of employment.

Companies need to take reasonable measures to assure that the people they hire are competent to do their work. If a company fails to take reasonable measures to verify someone’s competence as a driver, hiring that person may have been negligent.

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